


The Case of the Dancing Detective

by BlueZaca



Series: The Detective and The Lawyer (My fics of Perry and Paul as an Item) [6]
Category: Perry Mason (TV), Perry Mason - All Media Types
Genre: First Dance, Fluff, M/M, i just really love Paul and Perry and Della (a lot)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-01 06:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17239022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueZaca/pseuds/BlueZaca
Summary: Paul and Perry are out again with Della for dinner and some dancing. And Paul wonders if he'll ever get the chance to dance with Perry.





	The Case of the Dancing Detective

They were at the usual restaurant they went to when they wanted a good steak and a chance to dance with Della.

When they got there and sat at their table Paul grinned at Della.

"Well what say we do a little dancing before our food gets here?"  
  
Perry looked at Della and smiled, "The usual?"  
  
Della stood up and nodded at Perry, "Of course! You know how I like my steak, you don't mind ordering do you?"  
  
"Go ahead and go dance, just remember," Perry began and than Della finished his sentence.  
  
"Doesn't matter who gets the first dance, just so long you get the last one." She grinned and Paul gave a mocking pout in Perry's direction.  
  
Paul took Della by the hand and led her to the dance floor. The band was just starting a new number and then after the song ended they decided to go back to the table.  
  
"Order alright?" Paul asked as he pulled out Della's chair and then after she sat down he took his own seat.   
  
"The appetizers are on the way."  
  
"So Chief would you like that dance before or after we eat?"  
  
"Well there comes the waiter now," he nodded at the approaching waiter. "So I guess, as much as I hate to wait, would after be okay?"  
  
"Absolutely." She grinned.  
  
Their appetizers came, followed shortly by their steaks and meal. They then all got dessert, apple pie with ice cream and coffee.  
  
Perry stood up and extended a hand to Della, "Shall we?"  
  
"Hey! Don't I get another dance?" Paul asked.  
  
"Of course you do Mr. Drake! Just as long as Perry gets another dance before we leave I have no objections," Della looked questionly at Perry with a twinkle in her eyes.  
  
"Perfectly alright." Perry grinned and then took Della's hand as they made their way to the dance floor.  
  
After they danced, Paul and Della went another round, and then Perry and her danced one more dance before leaving.

 

As they left Paul grinned and said, “Della, there’s nothing that's quite like dancing with you.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” She laughed as she got into Perry’s car, they had rode together to the restaurant.

Paul climbed into the backseat and then said, “I meant it as one. You’re a regular Ginger Rogers on the dance floor.”

 “Unfortunately,” Perry added, “neither one of us are Fred Astaire’s.”

 “Hey! Speak for yourself!” Paul interjected.

Della giggled and then said, “Well I wouldn’t trade either of you for Fred don’t worry. Especially when I need an attorney or private detective.”

"Well that speaks for my skills as a sleuth, but I’m  _still_  hurt that you don’t think I could rival Astaire on the dance floor,” Paul added with a feign sulkiness in his voice.

They drove in silence for a few minutes and then Perry asked, with a suppressed chuckle in his voice, “Della, who’s the greatest detective in the world?”

Della glanced over at him with a twinkle in her eyes and said with the best straight face possible, “Sherlock Holmes.”

“HEY.”

“Oh come on Paul Drake, you know we still love you,” Della turned to look in the backseat at Paul and grinned. Paul had crossed his arms and was looking like a sulking 10 year old. And then his face broke into a grin.

 

“Alright Della,” Perry said as he pulled up to the curb in front of her apartment. He got out and went around to her door and opened it.

“Thanks, Perry,” Della said as she stepped out of the car.

Paul got out of the backseat and him and Perry walked her to her door.

“Bye Della.”

“Bye Beautiful!”

“Bye you two,” she smiled and then added, “I had a great time tonight. See you boys at work tomorrow and drive safe.” She then went inside and closed the door behind her.

 

When Perry and Paul got back to the car, Paul got in the front seat.

They drove for a few minutes and then Paul said, “Hey Perry?”

“Hmm?”

“You know what I’d love to be able to do one night?”

“What might that be?”

“Dance with you,” Paul slipped his hand over to rest on Perry’s leg and he turned to look at him with a sheepish grin.

“I thought we just agreed neither one of us were Astaire,” Perry laughed.

“ _You_  were the ones making cracks about our dancing. I said  _nothing_  of the sort!”

Perry chuckled slightly, and then they drove in silence until Perry pulled into the parking lot of their office building.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Paul said as he got out of Perry’s car and walked to his own.

“Goodnight, Paul.”

 

* * *

 

The next night, which was a Friday night, consisted of everybody agreeing to go home as soon as work finished.

Della said she she just wanted to go home and put her feet up and curl up with a book she had been neglecting. And Perry and Paul agreed it might be nice just to spend a quiet evening at home together.

So Paul and Perry both went to Perry's apartment. Paul sat down long ways on Perry's couch, after kicking his shoes off, his legs stretched out across it.

Perry didn't sit down right away, instead he stood looking inquisitively at the room.

"Say Perry, what exactly _are_  you doing? You look like you're examining a crime scene. And God forbid this is _one_  place I'd rather not be a crime scene!"

Perry didn't say anything but instead pushed his coffee table to the side of the room so that the middle of the living room was clear.

"Perry, is now really the time to be _decorating_?"

Perry ignored his comment and smiled to himself and said, "There. That ought to do it."

"Ought to do what? Say Mr. Mason what does one have to do to get acknowledged around here?! I plan to spend a romantic evening with you and here you stand rearranging coffee tables and ignoring me!"

Perry then went over to his record player and put on an album. Putting it on a song that was about halfway though the album. 

"Smoke Rings" by the Glen Gray Orchestra began to play. And Perry kicked off his shoes as he went toward the couch that Paul was still laying length wise on.

"Mr. Drake, may I have this dance?" Perry grinned as he extended his hand towards him.

The corner of Paul's mouth turned up into a grin and he took his hand and stood up as Perry then pulled him close and began to dance.

"Still object to the decorating?" Perry asked as they danced around his living room. 

"You know when you brushed off my comment the other day I didn't think you were taking it seriously." Paul grinned as Perry twirled him. "Say you know,  I've always wanted to do that." 

"I must admit it's much harder to do that with you than Della. You would have to be taller than me." Perry laughed and then added, "You know I would have thought we'd have trouble figuring out who leads and follows when we're dancing?" 

"Can you keep a secret?" Paul asked with a sheepish grin. 

"You know a lawyer can't betray the confidence of a client."

"When me and Della dance I usually let her lead."

Perry let out a laugh. " _What_?" 

"Well, we were talking one day and she made a comment on how when her and her girlfriend back in high school would dance, Della would always lead. And she said she missed being able to do that. So while I may not be the _prettiest_  dance partner compared to her old girlfriend well," Paul shrugged as best he could while dancing. 

Perry let out a laugh that made Paul grin even more. A laugh that made Paul realize he had forgotten what it was like when he would see Perry smile and his heart would sing and then slowly close up because he knew he'd never be able to hold him in his arms the way he wanted to. And now here they were. And he was damned glad he had been proven wrong about never being able to hold him in his arms. 

"Say Perry?" 

"Yes, Paul?" 

"Any objections to keeping your living room with this more open floor plan for awhile?" 

"Oh I don't see any cause for objection. How long did you have in mind to keep this more roomy decor?" 

Paul pulled Perry in closer and said softly in his ear, "Till we aren't able to dance anymore." 

Perry placed a soft kiss in the crook of his neck than whispered, "I have to warn you. We may never reach that day."

"Alright with me, Counselor. If given the chance to dance with you I'd take it. Even if I have a broken leg." Paul chuckled softly. 

The last song on the album finished and they were left in silence. "Mr. Drake?" 

"Hmm?" Paul asked, still holding Perry against him even though the music had stopped. 

"Would you like to dance another round?" 

"Mr. Mason, I thought you'd _never_  ask." 

Perry broke their embrace and smiled at him and then went to put on another record. 

Music filled the air once more and when he returned he reached for Paul's hand and asked, "Shall we?" 

Paul took his hand and as they began to dance he asked with a grin, "Shall we dance the night away?" 

Perry's eyes twinkled and a smile spread across his face. He twirled Paul and then pulled him in closer and kissed him softly on the lips. 

Paul let out a soft sigh and smiled. He couldn't think of a more swell way to spend his Friday night.  

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea for this fic from the George Strait song "I Just Want to Dance With You"  
> The part where Perry and Della talk about the fact that 'it doesn't matter who gets the first dance just so long as Perry gets the last dance with her' comes from the book "The Case of the Haunted Husband" by Erle Stanley Gardner.  
> The line about 'who's the greatest detective in the world' came from the very end of one of the Perry Mason movies "The Case of the Reckless Romeo"  
> Hope you enjoy (:


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